Breaking The Chains Of Diabetes One Ride At A Time

Find What Works, Then Stick To It

We make goals and plans and we have intentions, but unless we figure out how we’re going to make it happen, it’s not going to happen. At least, that’s been my experience. I can say that I want to do something, but wanting to do something doesn’t make it happen. It’s just there as a want and I want to do a lot of things…a whole lot!

I want to be in shape, I’d like a 6 pack that isn’t buried by dormant muscle. I’d like to be able to swim without swimming out of breath. I’d like to run faster and farther. I’d really like for the work I put into trying to control my blood sugars actually work. I’d really like to fit into my size 7 jeans by being healthy, not by not taking insulin just because it keeps the weight off.

These are just some high level wants that are at the forefront of my brain. But they’re just that, they’re wants. They’re wants that I’ve almost always had in the past 10 years at some point, but I’ve never worked for them. They never truly grew beyond a want.

Now, I know what it’s going to take to get where I want to be, it takes consistency. Consistency is something that I’ve regularly struggle with. I don’t didn’t get up at the same time daily. I don’t didn’t go to the bed at the same time nightly. I don’t didn’t train on any kind of schedule or plan. I don’t wasn’t check my blood regularly. I don’t wasn’t eating with any kind of system. Everything was completely off, if I could avoid routine/consistency/schedules, I was doing it. I was my own wind blowing myself around in whichever direction I the wind wanted to blow.

That’s kindof been the story of my life, unless it was forced, I was avoiding it at all costs. Why would anyone want to live on a schedule or do the same thing every day was my thought process. This mentality, was like a disease that rotting me. Affecting everything that I was doing (this is a recent discovery). And I know it was a rebellious spirit and I blame that on diabetes and it pushing me into this robotic life where everything was controlled in 2 hour increments…That’s not a scheudule I want to live on either…I digress.

With recently wanting to get things in order and keep them in order, I had to figure out *HOW* to get where I wanted to be. The want to get there was no longer enough…

I have found something that works, and actually, it’s something that works for most anyone if we just accept it for what it is and don’t fight it…ACCOUNTABILITY! I hate being accountable but I thrive under accountability. There’s something to be said about both being accountable and holding someone accountable.

An accountability system has been established that is working for me and has been working for me now for almost 3 weeks, and it’s a bit extreme, but like I said, we’ve got to find what works, then stick to it.

This system is specifically linked to me working out and staying in shape…I’m not a morning person, I enjoy staying in my nice warm bed until late hours of the morning or early hours of the afternoon. The alarm clock fades into my dreams and I may or may not wake up to it, there are times where more often than not it becomes part of my dream and I don’t wake up. This is not conducive to the early morning get up and go to the gym mentality. It’s not enough to know that there is someone I need to go meet at the gym to work out with, half the time it’s not enough for me to get up and go running or cycling early on a Saturday morning.

There is an epic accountability in having to wake up and go pick up my workout partner. There’s a knowledge that if I don’t show up at her house, she won’t mind sleeping in, but I’ll hear about it later, and there’s also a guilt that comes with me not waking up to go get her and head to the gym. The two of us hate the early mornings, but as I said the other day, I never regret when I get up and go workout but I do regret when I don’t. Once I’m out of bed and I’ve worked out, I’m good to go. This system works for us, and it’s what we’re sticking too. We’re establishing a lifestyle that works for us right now, and since it works, there’s no sense in changing it.

I know what I want:

I want to be in shape, I’d like a 6 pack that isn’t buried by dormant muscle. I’d like to be able to swim without swimming out of breath. I’d like to run faster and farther. I’d really like for the work I put into trying to control my blood sugars actually work. I’d really like to fit into my size 7 jeans by being healthy, not by not taking insulin just because it keeps the weight off.

And I’ve figured out how to get there. I’ve also established that it works, and now, I’ve just got to stick to it.

2 Rookie Marks On Find What Works, Then Stick To It

How I relate to all of this. I don’t really have answers or advice, just empathy for the struggle of transforming the things wanted into things achieved. I also resist consistency, but when I have it, it works, and it works well. I know I resist it because I have this stubborn self-destructive streak that I’ve yet to fully shake. Like you, I try to chip away at being a better person though, being a better diabetic. I’m glad to see you here, and I hope your workout buddy and you are able to achieve your goals together. Friends are good and help us get where we want to be

...said Lee Ann Thill on
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you know, you have a whole team of people you can also be accountable to…and reach out to for training partners. I bet you could pick up one or two

...said the Dread Pirate Rackham on
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